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WORLD NEWS Saturday 26 auguSt 2017

Spanish PM plays down post-attack criticism of authorities

gators to tap Abdelbaki Es be coordinated from now
Satty’s mobile phone line in on by the Interior Ministry’s
a 2005 investigation into an organized crime and ter-
Al-Qaeda cell in northeast- rorism intelligence center,
ern Spain, newspaper ABC CITCO, after representa-
reported Friday, publishing tives of intelligence agen-
leaked court documents, cies and police forces met
but the conversations Thursday with judicial au-
didn’t provide enough evi- thorities at the country’s
dence to indict him. National Court, which han-
Other concerns have dles terrorism cases.
been raised by police of- “From the initial stages, the
ficers’ unions, who have coordination has been fluid
denounced a decision and constant, both at the
by pro-independence re- political decision level and
gional politicians to show at the technical level of
a “self-sufficient” Catalonia police responsibilities,” Ra-
and exclude other experts joy told reporters.
in the initial stages of the Spain will also propose new
investigation into the at- measures to improve Euro-
tacks.The Catalan govern- pean Union coordination
ment has denied the accu- in fighting terrorism during
sations. a summit in Paris next week
Muslim worshipers pray for the victims of the Barcelona van attacks at the main mosque in Ma- Prime Minister Mariano Ra- with leaders from Germa-
drid, Spain, Friday Aug. 25, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks joy said Friday the investi- ny, Italy and France, Rajoy
on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that left 15 dead and more than 120 injured. Eight sus-
pects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. gation into the attacks will said. He didn’t elaborate.q
(AP Photo/Paul White)
By ARITZ PARRA lonia region during the at- jihadists and his criminal
Associated Press tacks by an Islamic extrem- record for drug trafficking
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s ist cell that killed 15 people may have been missed
prime minister on Friday last week. because Catalan regional
dismissed criticism about The probe into the Aug. police didn’t have informa-
the lack of coordination 17-18 attacks in Barcelo- tion that was in the hands
between Spanish national na and Cambrils has sug- of central authorities.
authorities and those in the gested that the alleged A judge had granted per-
widely self-governed Cata- cell leader’s ties to other mission for police investi-

Belgium:

Police shoot knife attacker dead in Brussels

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian man, Jonathan Pfunde. soldiers.
soldiers shot a man in He declined to say wheth- Our security services re-
downtown Brussels on Fri- er the man was shot dead. main on alert. We are fol-
day evening after he at- Belgium’s anti-terror crisis lowing the situation close-
tacked the troops with a center also said in a tweet ly.”
knife, federal police said. that the soldiers had “neu- Associated Press television
“A man armed with a knife tralized” the man and that images from central Brus-
attacked a group of sol- the “situation is under con- sels showed that police
diers. The soldiers fired at trol.” have sealed off a main
him and neutralized the Belgian Prime Minister street not far from the Bel-
individual,” said Belgian Charles Michel tweeted: gian capital’s main Grand
Federal Police spokes- “All our support is with our Place tourist attraction.q